NRM defers roadmap, CEC reconvenes next week

KAMPALA - The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has deferred the release of its adjusted election roadmap to next week on Wednesday, citing the need to deliberate more on proposals by members.

"The party membership and the entire public is hereby informed that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) convened again this Saturday under the chairmanship of H.E Yoweri Museveni. Discussion of the party road map was key on the agenda and given the importance of this item, more consultations and discussions will continue," Rogers Mulindwa, the NRM party senior manager of information, communications and public relations, said in a statement issued shortly after Saturday's CEC meeting at State House, Entebbe.

"The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday next week," he added.

Political party programmes regarding the forthcoming 2021 general elections were thrown off balance when the Electoral Commission (EC) last week released a new national electoral roadmap, rooting for scientific elections that prohibit mass campaign rallies in favour of media/digital campaigns.

The NRM roadmap was expected to be launched on Monday but CEC is yet to conclude deliberations on the matter.

However, to iron out the impeding issues related to the party's roadmap, especially the need to align it with the new national roadmap that the EC released last week, a sixth CEC meeting has been summoned by Museveni next week on Wednesday.

In March, the NRM secretary general, Justine Kasule Lumumba, rolled out a mass registration of new members and update of the party's register.

The exercise was meant to prepare the party for the party primaries, which were scheduled for September.

According to the amended NRM constitution, party primary elections of flag bearers for political offices, are to be conducted by lining up.

However, in the face of the COVID-19 threats, sources within CEC Saturday told New Vision that lining up could be jettisoned in favour of secret ballot, which is in tandem with the social distancing measures against the spread of COVID-19.

The Wednesday CEC meeting will be the fourth meeting in about three weeks. The first CEC meeting, which was convened last week on Saturday, made changes at the party's secretariat

The proposed changes by CEC saw, the NRM director of finance and administration, Dr Hassan Wasswa Galiwango replaced by Medina Naham, the NRM party chairperson of Koboko District.

Former Butaleja MP, Emmanuel Dombo, was also appointed as director of information and publicity, Jacqueline Kyatuheire as deputy national treasurer and Mathias Kisamba as director mobilisation.

On Tuesday this week, CEC convened for the second time to consider the party's roadmap, but the discussions were also not conclusive.